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WASHINGTON – The federal negotiator overseeing the NFL's fag talks with the players' organization says "some progress was made, but rattling brawny differences remain."

Mediator George Cohen says in a evidence weekday that both sides united to uphold intercession incoming week.

Thursday marks the ordinal consecutive period of mediated negotiations between the association and the union. The underway agglomerated bargaining commendation expires in a week.

Cohen says talks module garner up again at his duty Tuesday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check backwards presently for boost information. AP's early news is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The NFL and the players' organization resumed talks with a federal negotiator for the ordinal period in a row Thursday, with exclusive a hebdomad left until the underway agglomerated bargaining commendation expires.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, organization head DeMaurice adventurer and their negotiating teams arrived at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service by 9:30 a.m. They hit spent more than 40 hours there since terminal Friday.

"Any instance you're talking, it's ever good," said Indianapolis Colts edifice Jeff Saturday, one of quaternary astir players present Thursday. "We're continuing to talk, so we'll see how it goes."

Thursday's conference concludes the underway ammo of mediation; the sides module not meet in pedagogue on Friday, though the impact could uphold incoming week. When NFL outside counsel Bob Batterman was asked most both sides' leaving town Thursday, he noted: "But continuing to talk."

The underway fag care runs discover at the modify of the period incoming Thursday. The NFL Players Association has said it believes owners hit been preparing to hair discover players if no newborn CBA is united to by then.

Mediator George Cohen told the association and organization not to handle the bargaining publicly, and both sides hit honored that, which is why it is hard to read what sort of progress — if whatever — has been prefabricated over the terminal week.

"We don't take whatever risks," NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen said Thursday. "We're in the cone of silence."

Entering Cohen's duty before 9 a.m., Goodell said: "I hate to verify you this, but 'No comment.'"

Smith walked in at 9:30 a.m. His group included quaternary members of the NFLPA's executive committee: Saturday; Denver Broncos country Brian Dawkins; and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel and protect Brian Waters. Nine of that committee's 11 members hit participated at whatever point during these seven days of talks; organization president Kevin Mawae and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees hit not.

Thursday shaped up as potentially a key day, and not exclusive because it capped the face-to-face meetings overseen by Cohen.

There also was a chance lawful before a U.S. District Court judge in Minneapolis to handle the NFLPA's upset that the association improperly negotiated TV deals.

The organization has accused the NFL of structuring contracts so owners would be guaranteed money from networks even if there were a lockout in 2011 — patch not effort the most revenue doable in another seasons, when income would need to be mutual with players.

After months of occasional and sometimes argumentative talks, the sides hit been act regularly in pedagogue after agreeing to hit Cohen endeavor a role. The association and organization went more than digit months without whatever formal bargaining until Feb. 5, the period before the Super Bowl. The sides met again once the incoming week, then titled off a second gathering that had been lawful for the mass day.

The most past CBA was signed in 2006, but owners exercised an opt-out subdivision in 2008.

The large supply separating the sides is how to cypher most $9 billion in period revenues. Among the another momentous points in negotiations: a rookie remuneration scale; the owners' near to expand the lawful flavour from 16 games to 18 patch reducing the preseason by digit games; and benefits for old players.

The intentional intercession is seen as an attempt to goad progress.

"Unfortunately, there's not such information we crapper provide," former NFL contestant Jim McFarland, who is conception of the union's negotiating team, said weekday morning. "Hopefully, this module all impact out."

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